River Wind
by Pilgrim
Summary: …Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…(Completed)
1. China

…Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…  
  
  
River Wind  
  
By Dan Stickney  
  
  
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi and used without her permission.  
  
  
*****  
  
I knew I was in trouble the instant I fell into the spring.   
  
It shouldn't have been a big deal, right? Fall in, get wet, no biggie. However, as soon as the water closed over my head, I felt a horrible tingling sensation, and I realized that something had gone terribly wrong. The next thing I remember I was standing on all fours in shallow water. I tried to brush my wet hair back from my face, but I couldn't raise my hand for some reason, so I shook my head instead.  
  
"Oh sir, too bad." The guide was saying. I turned to look at him, only to have him disappear right before my eyes. I kept turning my head, trying to find him, and nearly jumped out of skin when he suddenly popped into view on the other side!  
  
"...You fall into spring of drowned horse. There very tragic legend of horse that drown there, nine hundred year ago..."  
  
I shook my head again and crawled out of the water. Damn it, why couldn't I stand up? And what was wrong with my voice all of a sudden? And wasn't that guide taller before I fell in?  
  
"...Now anyone who fall in that spring take body of horse!"  
  
Yeah, right. Like that could really happen. That's when the guide reached out, and started gently stroking my neck.  
  
I finally found my voice, and let out a terrified whinny.  
  
*****  
  
"Sir, come back! You need know about curse..." The guide's voice had faded into the distance as I galloped blindly down the valley with absolutely no idea where I was going, or why. I'd just suddenly been overcome by a overwhelming urge to flee, and I bolted. I have no idea which way I ran, or how far. I just kept going until my panic finally faded.  
  
So that's why I'm here, though I don't have a clue where 'here' is. I thought I'd taken a good look at the countryside on the way into Jusenkyo, but there is no way I'd recognize it now. Horse vision is so different. There's a lot of contrast, but virtually no colors, and I can't see directly in front of my nose. My field of view seems panoramic, nearly 360 degrees, but it's mostly in two separate patches, one to either side. This means I'm usually seeing two different pictures at the same time. It's very disorienting. Worse, everything seems squished horizontally somehow, like watching a wide-screen movie projected without the special lens, and I can't seem to focus on anything.  
  
At least my hearing is a lot better. It's kind of neat how I can point my ears right at the things I want to listen to, it almost makes up for the eyes. I can even point my ears in two different directions and listen to two things at once. And my nose is something else. I never knew that there were so many smells in the world.  
  
Oh God. I've become a horse. I've been turned into an animal. This can't be happening!  
  
Stop that! More panic won't help. Relax, take deep breaths, relax...  
  
OK, I'm a little better now. Now where was I? Oh yeah. This body must have come with some horse instincts or something. Otherwise, I don't think I could even walk without falling down. It feels so weird having four feet like this. I'm trying not to think about it too much, because every time I think about it I start tripping over myself.   
  
Aw hell. Who cares about extra feet? How the heck am I supposed to live without hands?  
  
I wish I knew what kind of horse I am. Unfortunately, I can't see very much of myself. Hell, I can't even tell what color I am. Gray, I think. Or maybe yellow? I wonder why this matters to me.  
  
Christ… Go to China, fall in spring, change into horse. It's ridiculous. I'm gonna sue!   
  
Oh well, at least I won't have to pay back my student loans.   
  
…I wonder who got stuck with my hotel bill?  
  
Damn, I'm hungry. What do horses eat, anyway? Oh well, I guess I'll try some of this grass right here. Hey, that's not so bad. A little bland, but I've had worse. Ugh, that one tastes horrible. Damn, how am I going to tell the good ones from the bad ones if I can't see in front of my nose? Hey, that's it! My nose! I guess I'll just have to learn to identify them by smell. Maybe this nose is going come in handy after all.  
  
Ugh. I wonder how many bugs I'm swallowing eating like this. I'm trying not to think about it.  
  
Great, now I'm thirsty. Luckily I've been following this stream. It seems like I'm always thirsty. Maybe if this damned grass wasn't so dry...  
  
Oops, there's the call of nature. At least I don't have to find a bathroom. Heck, I guess that's one advantage of being a horse - the whole damned world is a bathroom. Now all I have to do is figure out how. I keep getting this urge to lift my tail and lean forward. Maybe if I just relax and follow my impulses my body will do it naturally.  
  
Ahhh. There we go. That's much better. Hey, wait a minute--why is it coming out that way?  
  
Oh. God. Damn. It. Spring of drowned horse my ass. That wasn't the spring of the drowned horse; it was the spring of the drowned mare! It's bad enough I got turned into a horse, do I have to be a girl horse, too?  
  
Oh well. At least this way I won't have to worry about getting gelded.  
  
*****  
  
I think I've finally got this eye thing figured out.   
  
At least I've sort of gotten used to looking in two different directions at once. Actually, it's kind of nice to be able to look at two different things at the same time - I really could have used that in my old job. It does make it harder to concentrate, though, so I guess nothing is for free. I've found that I do have some binocular vision, but only when I'm looking dead straight ahead.  
  
Unfortunately, I still can't focus on anything. However, I have found that my eyes work kinda like bifocal glasses. If I tip my head up, I can see far away. Tipping my head down lets me see close up. I still can't see anything directly in front of my nose, though. It always scares the hell out of me when something pops out of my blind spot.  
  
Man, I wish I knew where the hell I was, and how long I've been wandering. I've been covering a lot of ground, mostly because I only seem to need a couple hours of sleep a day. I still can't sleep at night though, it's way too scary. So I keep moving. I have to keep moving anyway, it's the only way I can find enough to eat. I'm always hungry.  
  
Walk, eat, poop. Walk, eat, poop. That's all I ever do these days. Summer seems to be coming to a close. The nights are getting longer and the grass is getting scarce. It might be getting colder too, but I can't really tell through all this fur. I sure hope I can find enough to eat this winter.  
  
Heck, even if I knew where I was, I wouldn't stay oriented for long. Something would spook me and I'd get lost again. God, I hate being spooked. A bird takes off, or a leaf blows the wrong way, and I'm a quarter mile away before I even realize I'm galloping. Half the time I never even become consciously aware of what scared me. I do notice it's worse whenever I'm upwind of something. For some reason, being upwind of cover makes me really nervous somehow. I wish I knew why I'm so jumpy. It must be something that's hardwired right into the equine brain. Everything scares me, and everything makes me run away. I've come across people six or eight times, and by the time I realize it they're dwindling in the distance.  
  
Hell, what does it matter where I am? It's not like they're gonna let me get on a plane back to the States anyway. I'm sure I've long since been given up for dead.  
  
I'm so lonely.  
  
*****  
  
God I'm tired, and my feet hurt.   
  
I was right to worry about food for the winter, because I'm starving. What little I can find to eat is dried up and nasty, and every time I walk through the woods I can feel the branches picking out every rib along my sides. I'm tired, footsore, cold, weak, hungry, and my tail's all matted too. I don't think I could get any more miserable.  
  
Hey, what is that? Sounds like someone calling "Lai-Lai" or something. Whatever it is, it's in Chinese, which I didn't speak even when I was human. Oh well, I doubt many other horses speak Chinese either. I lift my head for the first time all day. It's some old guy in a Mao jacket and a fur hat, and he's carrying a rope. I turn my head to keep him in my left eye, but I'm not gonna move otherwise. I'm just too tired. So I let him walk up to me, and just stand there as he gently strokes my neck, murmuring softly. I can't help but relax under the first human contact I've had in months, and I don't object when he gently slips the rope over my head. Wherever we're going, I hope there's lots of grass there.  
  
Do they eat horses around here? Doesn't matter, I guess. I don't think there's enough left of me to make a decent meal, anyway.  
  
*****  
  
That bitch!   
  
I can smell that damned grain, but every time I try to get close to the feed trough she pins her ears and runs me off. And if that isn't bad enough, she keeps coming at me in the pasture, running me off my hay pile, biting me and kicking at me. And all the other mares are doing it too. Guess I'm the low horse on the totem pole around here.   
  
Fine, I'd rather hang out with the geldings anyway. They're much more pleasant company. Just think: if that had been a different spring, I might be one of them. There but for the grace of Jusenkyo go I.  
  
At least she can't keep me from getting some grain and hay, and I'm feeling better. Just you wait till I get my strength back, you bitch. I'll show you who's number one around here then. Just you wait.  
  
*****  
  
Well. I've finally figured out this grain trough thing.   
  
Get here first, then stand your ground. I still can't stand up to the top mare, but at least I'm finally getting enough to eat. Look out, bitch, your days are numbered. Pretty soon I'm going to be the boss around here, I just know it. I'm about the fastest horse here already, and I like to prove it every chance I get. Pretty soon I'm gonna prove I'm the toughest horse, too.  
  
It's funny. I don't ever remember being this competitive when I was human. In fact, I was kind of a nebbish. Of course, back then I didn't have to fight for my food.   
  
Now though, I just gotta be first. I can't bear the thought of anyone outrunning me, either to the feed trough or anywhere else. The last few months have been a really hard lesson in "survival of the fittest".  
  
Besides, racing the other horses is the only entertainment there is around here. And it's nice to finally be the best at something - even if it's merely the best animal.  
  
*****  
  
Man, my mouth hurts.   
  
As if it weren't bad enough that they had to strap that stupid saddle on my back, they had to cram that damned bit in my mouth too. And what the hell kind of bit is that, anyway? It feels like a plowshare wrapped in barbed wire. And to top it all off, some jerk has to jump on top of me, kicking me in the sides and yanking on my mouth.  
  
Well, I'm not going to put up with this, that's for damned sure. I may look like animal, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let them treat me like one. It shouldn't be too hard to get them to leave me alone, Heck, I must have a thousand pounds on any of them, easy.   
  
*****  
  
So much for that idea. I better submit pretty damned quick.   
  
If the last few days have shown me anything, it isn't how big you are, it's how tough you are, and these men are all a lot tougher than me. Shoot, just their predatory body language alone is enough to scare the hell out of me.  
  
I'm not gonna be one of those idiot horses that has to be "broken". This negative reinforcement stuff is for the birds. I'll do what you want, really I will. Just don't punish me anymore.  
  
Oh well, at least the old man still likes me. He comes to stroke my neck and talk to me. I wish I knew what he was saying, because I'd happily do anything for him.  
  
*****  
  
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, can't you see I'm sorry?   
  
I'm trying, I really am. Can't you see that? Please, I'll do anything, just please don't punish me any more.  
  
Please...  
  
*****  
  
I'm a good girl?   
  
Oh, thank you, thank you. Let me do it again. Please. I can do it even better, I swear I can. I'll be the best horse you've ever seen! Really I will!  
  
*****  
  
I'm so proud of myself.   
  
I got three carrots today, and lots of praise, and I only got punished twice!   
  
For the life of me I can't understand why I didn't want to do this. Pleasing people is so much better than fighting them. Good horses get lots of treats, and the work isn't really that hard, is it?  
  
I mean, I'm not broken, right? I'm just cooperating, right? Right?   
  
*****  
  
Geez, I don't know what's got into me today, but I feel really bitchy.   
  
I just lit into the former boss mare for no reason at all. Serves her right, the bitch. She didn't have to be so mean to me when I was the bottom horse. Anyway, things are a lot nicer now that I'm in charge around here. I get the most grain and the best hay piles. I especially like the way the other horses go all subservient when I approach 'em. I do try not to abuse my authority -- much.  
  
Well, some of the other horses go subservient anyway. For some damned reason those stupid geldings keep coming up to sniff my butt. I've gotta squeal, stamp and kick to keep 'em in line. I wonder what the hell has gotten into them.  
  
I can't believe I used to hang out with those dweebs. What a bunch of losers.  
  
*****  
  
Well, now I know why it's called heat.   
  
Damn it, I've been afraid of this ever since I realized I'd been turned into a mare. If the very notion of mating with an animal made me queasy, the mere thought of allowing a male animal do THAT to me was simply unbearable. I swore to myself that I would never, ever allow it under any circumstances.   
  
Well, it turns out that it's pretty damned hard to keep that sort of pledge when the hormones are playing ping-pong with your brain. I got so hot and bothered there for a while that I'd have made it with anything - human, animal, or inanimate - just to get some sort of relief.  
  
Funny, it never seemed to affect me this strongly when I was wandering the mountains alone. Maybe because there weren't any other horses around. More importantly, there weren't any MALE horses around.  
  
Damn my nose. One whiff of that stallion and it was all she wrote. I never, ever imagined that a simple smell could do that to somebody. It's really scary to think that this can and will happen again   
  
Want to know the absolute worst part about it all? I think I actually enjoyed it. The human in me, the man I once was, is horrified. The mare in me wants to do it again. The inner conflict is driving me nuts. It would be much easier on me if I could just accept that this is the way I am now, but that's so hard.  
  
Man, am I sore. If you think losing your virginity was rough, try telling a stallion "Be gentle with me, it's my first time."   
  
Hell, I guess I've lost more than my virginity. I've lost my manhood, too. There's no way I can deny being female now. First I lost my humanity, then they broke my spirit, and now I've lost my manhood. What am I going to lose next?  
  
I'd be shaking in my shoes, if I was wearing any. People may not be able to tell when they're pregnant, but horses can. At least we don't get morning sickness.  
  
*****  
  
This sucks. I'm so tired, and so fat, and so...pregnant.   
  
I'm too fat to want to get up, but I'm too fat to wanna lay down either. I can't believe I've been living this for almost a whole year.  
  
Yeah, that's right, nearly a year. And it feels like I might have another month to go. Another month of aching, and bulging, and peeing every five minutes. Not to mention getting kicked from the inside. The little bastard has hooves, too.  
  
At least they gave me my own paddock, so I don't have to fight with the other mares for my food. And they have been cutting back on my training for the past couple months. Still, I don't think I'll ever get my filly-like figure back.  
  
This really sucks.  
  
*****  
  
It's a filly. She's a filly, and she's mine, and she's the most beautiful thing in the whole world.  
  
I thought nothing could be worse than pregnancy right up until the contractions started. I was really scared, but I would have been terrified if the old man hadn't been there to help me. Thankfully this horse body seems to have come equipped with a full set of equine instincts; as soon as I relaxed and stopped trying to think about it my body knew what to do, and I just lay down and pushed her out.   
  
Anyway, it didn't take nearly as long as I feared it would. There are some advantages to being a four-legged animal after all. Like a straight birth canal with lots of expansion room.  
  
It still hurt like hell, though.  
  
Then, after the birth itself, there was the long, fearful wait for her to stand up. I spent the agonizing minutes as best I could, licking her clean and memorizing her wonderful smell.  
  
When she finally struggled to her feet I think I was the happiest mother on the planet. It's too bad her grandparents will never know about her. Though it's pretty tough to imagine what they'd think if they knew their son had just given birth to a horse.  
  
I just wish I could get used to this awkward tugging on my nipples. I also kinda wish my udder wasn't between my back legs like that. It seems so... undignified, somehow.   
  
Not for the first time I desperately wished I had a voice to thank the old man. I had to settle for whickering and nuzzling his chest, instead. He seemed to understand.  
  
*****  
  
My daughter is beautiful.  
  
Don't take my word for it; everybody else seems to think so, too. You should see the people line the fence when we're galloping across the pasture.  
  
She has my color, and her father's nose, but she moves even better than either of us. I couldn't tell you how I know, but even as an awkward newborn I could see that she was a horse in a million. She should be somebody's show horse some day.  
  
God, I hope that's what happens to her. Most of the other possibilities are too frightening to contemplate. The hell of it is I'll never know. I've seen what happens around here. Once she's weaned, they'll sell her and I'll never see her again.  
  
Once, I would have said good riddance, She's only an animal, after all. Not a real, if cursed, person like me. Of course, back then I was human, and male.   
  
Now I'm a horse, and I'm her mother. I dread what is to come. So I try to take each day as it comes, knowing that it's not likely to last much longer.  
  
*****  
  
My udder is killing me.  
  
They took my daughter away today. I swore I'd be brave about it, but I couldn't help responding as she whinnied in panic, wishing I could tell her what was going on.  
  
Horses do have a language of sorts, but there's no way to express abstract concepts in it. We're pretty much limited to stuff like "I'm hungry" or "I'm horny" or "run away!"  
  
Of course, the whickers between a mare and her foal pretty much say "I love you" in any language. Even humans seem to understand those.  
  
So anyway, now she's gone, and I'm depressed, and I've got a case of mastitis that you wouldn't believe. My nipples feel like red-hot rocks.  
  
The old man came and spent extra time with me before he gave me a special treat. Maybe he knows how I'm feeling.  
  
This isn't the first time I've wished that horses could cry.  
  
*****  
  
Shit, I just got sold.  
  
There was no warning. Sure, a bunch of guys came to look at me, but then they always look at me. After all, I'm the best-looking horse around here by far, except for my daughter, of course.  
  
Anyway, this time was different, because after they'd looked at me someone slapped a halter on me and led me out to a waiting truck.  
  
It took quite a while for them to get me loaded. I wasn't scared to load, I was scared to leave. This farm, meager as it is, had become my home. Still that sort of behavior is normal enough, so it didn't arouse any suspicions. At least I'd seen enough money change hands to know that I wasn't likely to be bound for the slaughterhouse.  
  
After I was loaded, the old man came to say goodbye, and I was surprised to see tears in his eyes as he stroked my neck for the last time. It's OK, old man. You can do the crying for both of us.  
  
Despite all that's happened to me, it's kind of scary to think that I can be just bought and sold like, well, an animal.  
  
Thank God I'm still a young and pretty horse. Someday, this truck might really be headed for the slaughterhouse. I try not to think about it too much.  
  
*****  
  
  
Coming Next: Chapter 2 - Japan 


	2. Japan

Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…  
  
  
River Wind  
  
By Dan Stickney  
  
  
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi   
  
*****  
  
Chapter 2: Japan  
  
*****  
  
Well, it was a long, lonely, trip.  
  
I never would have guessed that being taken from that rundown, ratty farm would be such a traumatic experience. I never realized how much I'd become accustomed to being surrounded by other horses until they took me away from them. It's really scary being alone, without the rest of the herd to watch my back.  
  
The truck took me to a train, which took me to a boat, which took me across the sea. So, after my trip, and about a month in quarantine, I wound up here.  
  
"Here" is in Japan, I think - a boarding and lesson stable. The owner must have buyers cruising China looking for bargains. I guess I was a bargain  
  
From what little I can understand (I don't know Japanese, either) I'm a school horse, though I bet I'm still up for sale, if the right person comes along at the right price.  
  
Well, I don't care. If I have to be a horse, this seems like a good place to be one. The mares have been nice enough (once I put them in their place) and the geldings all know I'm the center of the universe, like they're supposed to. A stallion might give me trouble but there aren't many around and the humans are careful to keep them segregated from the rest of my herd.   
  
I wonder when I started thinking of humans as "them"?  
  
*****  
  
I guess I spoke too soon.  
  
Oh, In general it isn't a bad life here. There's lots of hay, and plenty of turnout, and the other horses seem nice enough. Not like that backwoods riff-raff I had to deal with in China.  
  
But these students! How the hell am I supposed to make good riders out of any of them?  
  
It's bad enough when they use my reins for a handle, or sit on my back like a sack of cabbages. That sort of stuff is to be expected from beginners, after all.   
  
No, they have to try to control my every step. Damn it, I am not a machine that needs to be steered. I'm a horse. Just show me where you want to go and I'll take you there. I know how my body works a hell of a lot better than you do, thank you. Get out of my mouth and let me do my job.  
  
Damn, I wish I could talk to them sometimes. Still, I have ways of getting my message across. If they're too ham fisted I toss my head, and while my regular trot is pretty bouncy as it is, I can make it bone jarring when I want to. It seems to work pretty well. Horses aren't the only animals that can be trained using negative reinforcement, it seems.  
  
The absolute worst ones hold their breath and tense up like a lion was about to spring out at us from somewhere. Can't they tell how jumpy that makes me? The world is scary enough when I'm not carting around people who make me feel like bolting. Shoot, it's not like they could recognize real danger before I could anyway. Humans are just so damned obtuse, you know? No perception at all. They never seem to notice anything that isn't right in front of their faces.  
  
Ah, well, they're not all bad. There is one little girl, I guess she's about twelve, named Keiko. Now she seems to know instinctively what to do. She has gentle hands, and a lovely following seat, and she never messes with my mouth unless I deserve it. Which I rarely do, because I always go out of my way to round up and look good for her. And even when I do deserve it, she's always gentle, and seems to know instinctively when to give me my head back.   
  
Anyway, pretty soon I started noticing that Keiko was showing up early for her lessons, and doing little chores around the barn, to maximize her chances of riding me. And I also noticed that the various people who are always puttering around the barn tend to stop and watch whenever we're working together.  
  
I guess I'm just like any other teacher: Your best students seem to make up for the rest, somehow.  
  
*****  
  
This is so cool! Keiko bought me!  
  
Well, actually, her dad must have bought me for her. Of course, no one actually told me what was happening, because no one expected me to understand. I'm just an animal, after all. And in truth, I probably wouldn't have understood, because I still haven't learned much Japanese. It's really hard to learn a new language when there's nothing to put it in context.  
  
Still, it wasn't hard to figure out. They moved me to a new stall and stopped using me in lessons. As soon as I saw Keiko I knew. It was written in her whole body language. You can't hide that sort of thing from a horse.   
  
Keiko's dad was smiling as she hugged him. I think he's pretty cool too. If I weren't a horse and a mother I'd want to be a dad like hers, if that makes any sense.  
  
At least I won't have to put up with beginners any more.   
  
Best of all, I finally have a name. Keiko gave it to me.  
  
Oh, I must have had a name before, but nobody ever bothered to tell it to me. Keiko calls me "Kawakaze". It sounds pretty.  
  
I wish I knew what it meant.  
  
Best of all, she fusses over me: She's always brushing me, or combing out my tail, or braiding ribbons into my mane. It's kind of cute.  
  
As a man, I would have sneered at such schoolgirl antics. After all this time as a horse, I'm just grateful for the attention.  
  
I can't believe how much I've changed.  
  
*****  
  
I hate getting my feet trimmed.  
  
When I was a man, I never would have dreamed of having my nails done. Of course, back then I didn't stand on them, either.  
  
One thing that surprised me when I first became a horse was the feeling that I was always standing on tiptoe, like a ballerina. Of course, it didn't take me long to realize that's exactly what I was doing--standing on the tips of my toes. I always thought horses didn't have toes, but we do: four big ones, each ending in a hoof. Each of my feet is just one big toe, and I'm literally standing on my toenails. That's where a lot of my agility comes from. As a former engineer, I have to admire the design. You're not likely to find anything with more elegant simplicity than my feet.  
  
As always, though, that elegant simplicity comes at a cost: Redundancy. One toe per foot means I have no backups. If anything happened to even one of my feet, I'm dead. I'm much too big to support myself on only three legs. Sure, I can hold any one of my feet up, but not for long, and I can't walk on anything less than all four.  
  
That's why I used to get very nervous when anyone tried to mess with my feet, especially after I was first captured. It's a life or death thing for me. Now, however, I've gotten used to it.  
  
I still don't like it much, though.  
  
The worst part is standing here on three legs when the flies are biting me, but I don't dare move when I'm cross-tied. In China that would have earned me a beating or worse. Yeah, I know that no one here would ever abuse me, but tell that to my ingrained reflexes. I've literally been programmed - like a computer, or an animal.   
  
I used to mind, but I've gotten used to it. At least Keiko has been helping me get over my flinching.  
  
*****  
  
Keiko is so clever. It's so easy to teach her new tricks.   
  
The first trick I taught her was bowing. I just love the way Japanese people bow to each other all the time. Of course, horses can't really bow, so I just tuck my chin and nod my head so it looks like I'm bowing. It didn't take long for Keiko to realize that if she bowed to me I'd return it. Of course, now that I've taught her that, I have to keep reinforcing it so she won't forget.  
  
Anyway, from there it was a simple matter of teaching her that I'd bow to other people if she touched me on the shoulder in a certain way. It's amazing how fast she picks up this stuff.  
  
Next I taught her a counting game. When she cocks her head just right, I start pawing for her; when she straightens up, I stop. It didn't take her long to figure out that we could pretend to do math problems this way. I'm glad she does the counting for me though, My horse brain doesn't seem to be as good with numbers as my human one was.  
  
Finally, I taught her the yes-no game. It's my favorite. All I had to do was nod or shake my head every time she tipped her head just right. It took her more than a week to figure it out, but once she did it didn't take her long to see the possibilities. I told you she was clever, didn't I? Now we keep everyone amused with out little routines. I still can't understand much Japanese, but I don't have to. She asks me a question, and I can tell from the way she's standing whether to answer "yes" or "no". It never fails to get a laugh.  
  
Of course, I won't do these tricks for anyone else, just my lady Keiko. I won't come to anyone else's call, either. I want her to know how special she is. Of course, she probably thinks she taught me these things. The truth can be out little secret.  
  
Here she is now. She's asking me a question using the "Yes" signal. As always, it's all gibberish, except for one word I know very well. So I nod my head enthusiastically, and she gives me the carrot, lingering to caress my velvet nose.  
  
*****  
  
Yuck, this latest batch of hay is terrible. It's all stalky and stemmy.  
  
Recently, I noticed something that kind of disturbs me. I never seem to get bored any more.  
  
When I first changed, I was too frightened to be bored. And when I was wandering in the wild, I was too busy struggling to find enough to eat.   
  
However, when I first came to the horse farm in China, I was bored stiff. There wasn't anything to do except stand around.  
  
Now however, I'm almost never bored. Oh, Keiko lights up my world whenever she's here. But even when she isn't there's always something, like racing in the pasture, or meditating on my dressage lessons, or even the simple Zen-like pleasures of grazing.  
  
I wish I could figure out why this bothers me. Have I lost something?  
  
*****  
  
I just had to clobber that big gelding again. You know; the one who still thinks he's a stud?   
  
You think he'd learn not to approach a mare from behind, especially with his... thing hanging out like that. Yeah, I know he's neutered, but try telling him that. He must have been gelded late, after his habits were developed. Either that or he has an undescended testicle. I guess I'll never know.  
  
Damn it, gelded or not, he's still a male: A real pain in the ass 28 days a month, and just what the doctor ordered on the other two. At least he's shooting blanks.  
  
I can't believe he's willing to get clobbered every day just to be here on the one day I'd be willing to accommodate him. That's a male for you.  
  
*****  
  
Damn it, that blue ribbon should have been mine!   
  
And it would have been too, if that goddamn judge hadn't been blind. He couldn't tell a hunter under saddle from a ham and swiss on rye. I hope they send him back to cattle shows, where he belongs.  
  
Briefly, I contemplate doing something to show my displeasure, like stepping on his foot, or pissing on him, but I'd never dare do it. Judges have a way of getting their own back, and it wouldn't do to get a bad reputation.   
  
I'd never even consider biting him. Any thought of doing that was literally beaten out of me in China. Take it from me, aversion therapy really works  
  
Don't mind me; I'm just feeling marish today. Thank god it's only two days a month, though it's always a bittersweet reminder of my daughter. I wonder what happened to her?  
  
Oh well, second place is better than no place. I rub my head on Keiko's chest by way of apology, covering her with horse hair in the process. She smiles and scratches behind my ears.  
  
Oh well, another couple days and it will be over and I'll be able to think clearly again. Guess I'll be visiting that big gelding's paddock tonight.  
  
*****  
  
I wonder what's going on in the indoor arena? I think I'll go check.  
  
Gotta love these sensitive lips and whiskers. Even though I can't actually see the post I'm tied to, I have little trouble locating the end of my lead shank. A grab with my teeth and quick pull to pop the quick-release knot and I'm free. Lucky for me, I'd been given enough slack to do this. Lately, they've taken to tying me short, because I've developed a reputation as an escape artist. That's one of the advantages of human intelligence, even in a horse's body. I love getting out of my stall and doing a little mischief every now and then. I never do any real damage, mind you. I just like to keep them on their toes.  
  
So with this in mind I wander over behind the bleachers where Keiko and the other Barn Rats are concentrating on a dressage clinic. I don't have any trouble sneaking up on them - humans are so obtuse. I watch the clinic for a while, hoping to pick up a few pointers. Then I wait until Keiko's fully involved in the demonstration before gently blowing down the back of her neck.  
  
I'm rewarded with a yelp and a jump that makes me twitch (Even here, my flight reflex isn't far below the surface.) She spins around, and I whicker into her face, blowing green flecks all over her shirt. That will teach her to tie me up and then go off and leave me. The whole bleachers erupt in laughter, Keiko's the loudest of all.  
  
The clinic instructor is forced to stop as Keiko leads me back to my stall. She scolds me the whole way, but I know she doesn't mean it. She takes my halter off, and strokes my neck, and calls me "idiot horse", though she's smiling as she does so. Then she gives me an apple.  
  
Life is good.  
  
*****  
  
I wonder how long I've been here. Not that a date would mean anything to me if you told me. My world is the cycles of the seasons, the cycles of the moon, and the cycles of my own body.  
  
Its been years, though. My lady Keiko's grown taller, and she smells like an adult now. And lately I've been noticing a new softness when I nuzzle her chest.  
  
Poor girl, udders are so much more convenient. Though I can't imagine where she'd keep one if she had one.   
  
*****  
  
Something's wrong, my lady hasn't been coming around as much as she used to.  
  
It used to be she came to see me straight after school every day. Now I might not see her for two or three days at a time.  
  
Well today, I finally found out what was wrong. She brought a boy with her. It was hate at first sight. How dare he come between my lady Keiko and me!  
  
Of course, I couldn't give him any indication of how I really felt. Instead, I let Keiko show him all of her tricks. He seems to make her happy, so I guess I'll have to put up with him.  
  
Just before they left he put his arm around her waist. I braced myself for the squeal and the stomp, because I could smell that Keiko wasn't in season, and probably wouldn't be for another few days.  
  
So you can imagine my surprise when she smiled and put her arm around him in return! I guess I forgot that humans were like that. It kind of makes me jealous, somehow.  
  
*****  
  
Keiko's crying, and there's nothing I can do about it. Her boyfriend just dumped her. It seems he didn't like all of the time she spent messing with her horse. So she came here to cry, and feed me treats. I guess I allow her to talk to herself, without actually talking to herself. At least I nod at appropriate moments.  
  
Poor girl. I'm so lucky compared to her. Horses don't complicate such things with romance. Lust arrives in convenient monthly installments, leaving our brains free for more important things most other days.  
  
Anyway, now she's stroking my neck and telling me that sometimes she thinks I really do understand. Oh, my poor lady, if only you knew.  
  
******  
  
Stay tuned for…Chapter 3: The big time… 


	3. The Big Time

Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…  
  
  
River Wind  
  
By Dan Stickney  
  
  
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi   
  
******  
  
Chapter 3 – The Big Time  
  
*******  
  
Wow, whatever show this is, it's a really big one.   
  
Over the years we've been going to bigger and bigger shows. We started with little one-day shows, and sort of built up from there. Lately, the shows have all been three day marathons, with dressage the first day, cross-country the second, and stadium jumping on the last. I get the distinct impression that these are big time events. As usual, though, no one ever tells me anything.   
  
Sometimes, I wish I'd paid attention to horse stuff when I was human, maybe then I'd have some idea about where I fit into this world. Unfortunately, the closest I'd ever been to a horse before I became one was at the movies.  
  
Still, there was no disguising that this show was going to be a big deal when they loaded me onto an airplane. That's never happened before. I have no idea how long the flight was, because I have no time sense any more, but it seemed to be a long time. It was dark when I got here. Wherever this place is, it's very green and wet. At least it has nice grass.  
  
****  
  
Well, I finally figured out where I am -- New Zealand. And this show must really be a big deal, because I've just gone into heat for the second time since I've gotten here. We've never trained this long or this hard before.  
  
Actually, I'm kind of grateful for the extra time. This place is so different from home that it's taken some getting used to. A couple months of training sounds about right.  
  
New Zealand has its compensations. Keiko has been taking me on long conditioning rides through the mountains. They're much more interesting than that boring track at home. Sometimes, they remind me of the Chinese mountains of my second youth, just after my change. Those months would have been a lot less scary if I'd had Keiko with me, like I do now.  
  
Oh, and Keiko has a new boyfriend, too. He's another Japanese rider on the circuit. At least this one won't dump her for spending too much time with me.  
  
Ironically, I've learned more Japanese here than I ever did in Japan, because everyone is talking through translators. So I get to hear both sides of the conversation, and finally have some context. Unfortunately, it's been slow going, since I only have this stupid horse brain to work with.  
  
Well, we've definitely hit the big time, in more ways than one. All of the other horses I've seen have at least a full hand on me, if not two, and the other riders all tower over Keiko. Still, after all I've been through, I'm not about to let a bunch of oversized foreigners intimidate me. This pair of little girls from the land of the rising sun are going to show them that the river wind is a force to be reckoned with.  
  
****  
  
I'm headed for the dressage arena, but my mind is on the cross country tomorrow.  
  
Of all the things we compete at, I love the cross-county the best. That's when I can stretch out and really run. On the course it's just me and my lady, with everything on the line, and no guarantees beyond effort. It's enough to make me start jigging just thinking about it. There is nothing quite like the feeling of running all out with the scent of other horses in my nostrils, just waiting for me to run them down.  
  
I sometimes wonder what sort of horse drowned in that spring all those centuries ago. She must have been an imperial messenger's horse, or something similar, because I'm pretty fleet. Thank you, mother, whoever you were, for giving your daughter the genes to run.   
  
Keiko gives a sharp tug on my reins, and I snort apologetically. It's time to stop champing at the bit over tomorrow and start thinking about the dressage I have to do today.   
  
Shall we dance, my lady?  
  
****  
  
Man, I thought I was gonna get killed on that cross country course today.   
  
I was bombing down the slope towards that freaking scary water jump, going way too fast and on the wrong lead to boot, and I just knew we'd end up having a serious crash into the pond. That's when Keiko starts telling me to lengthen my stride!  
  
Well, when my lady cues me like that, I don't think, I just do. So I stretched out as far as I could, and launched myself into the hardest, flattest jump I've ever made. And the next thing I know we're blasting through the water and up the slope onto the other shore.  
  
I would have never made it without my lady. Heck, I would have never even attempted it without Keiko. You have to remember that I often can't see where I'm going to land. I wouldn't dream of trying to jump anything without Keiko on my back telling me it's safe. It's just too scary. I'm literally trusting her with my life. Luckily for me, she's never overfaced me.  
  
I wish I could tell you how I knew she wanted me to run harder, but I can't. She just did and I just knew. You see, I don't take my cues from any one thing she does, Instead, I take them from everything she does. All she has to do is look where she wants me to go and I know where we're going, or think how she wants me to go and I'll go that way. Just the thoughts themselves affect her body language enough for me to read her intentions.   
  
I have never, ever felt so close to someone. The few relationships I had with human lovers pale by comparison. And we're both the same sex and we ain't even the same species!  
  
****  
  
Ouch, I hurt all over, but mostly I just feel blue.   
  
We were doing so well on the show jumping course, and I had to blow it on the last jump. It wasn't even a particularly tough jump, too, just a simple little vertical that I could have popped over in my sleep. We weren't even one stride out when some idiot in the audience chose that very moment to open his umbrella and spooked the hell out of me. Next thing I know we're both on the ground on the far side, any chance of finishing, let alone getting any points, just gone. I wrenched my shoulder and Keiko hurt her leg and if there were any justice in the world the other spectators would have beaten the thoughtless dickhead senseless then and there.  
  
I just hate it when I let Keiko down like this. I failed my lady, and I'm sorry.   
  
****  
  
Hey, I could get used to this jet-setting life.  
  
When I boarded the plane I figured that we'd be headed back to Japan. So you can imagine my surprise when I was unloaded in Australia. As always, no one bothered to tell me anything, because I'm just an animal. Oh well. Actually, I think Keiko did try to tell me, I just didn't recognize the Japanese pronunciation.  
  
Lucky for me, about a week's rest was all it took to make me feel right as rain. Unlucky for me, I'm stuck in quarantine again and likely to remain so for quite a while. I wanted to make some new friends. I guess I can't really blame them. It's not like animals are entitled to any civil rights or anything.   
  
At least I still have plenty to do, quarantine or not. We're training, as always, and I'm trying to get accustomed to the appalling heat. I don't think I've ever been anywhere so hot and dry. Fortunately, the people around here have come up with some clever ways to deal with it. I especially love the misting fans. I've got to figure out a way to get one of those at home, too.   
  
I've also spent some time making a good start on my TV career. My lady and I have always received a fair amount of press coverage, at least since we started winning, but only in Japanese horse publications. My stall at home is practically papered with clippings, not that I can read any of them. Still, we hadn't received any TV coverage before New Zealand.   
  
Now, though, it's like I can't go to my turnout paddock without tripping over a cameraman. I guess no one expected us to do so well, and there seems to be a general consensus that we were robbed. So we've seen news crews from every major network here and at home. And, of course, once they found out what a showoff I am, they kept coming back for more. Keiko and I have demonstrated all of our tricks more times than I can count, though that ain't saying much these days thanks to this damned horse brain of mine.  
  
It's funny, though. Nothing I do seems to convince anyone that I'm anything more than a natural horse. An exceptional horse, yes, but a horse all the same. Even when I grabbed that pompous Brit commentator's hat off of his head and started whacking him with it nobody thought it was intelligent behavior on my part. He deserved it, though. How dare he say those unkind things about my bloodlines!   
  
Overall, though, I think I'm in horse heaven. I just love being the star of the show. Not only does it get me a lot of attention, our corporate sponsors love it too. And we'll do anything to keep the sponsors happy. It must take big money to play in these leagues. Every one of my shenanigans that makes the paper is free advertising. We've also done some photo shoots and commercials. No one can say that I'm not earning my hay these days.  
  
Unfortunately, along with the press comes a lot of pressure to do well. I hope the pressure won't be too much for my lady Keiko. She's the one who'll have to face the music if we fail. Me, I'll just get the same hay, grain and stall I'd get if we'd won. Sometimes there are advantages to being the animal half of this team.  
  
*****  
  
Well, tomorrow's the big day.  
  
Keiko and our support crew are relaxing outside my stall, watching a portable television. I keep one eye on it, but the pictures really don't mean all that much to me any more. Just flickering lights. I can listen to the narration, though.  
  
"...well Nigel, the smart money's on the New Zealanders, as always, but the pair attracting all the attention lately has been the charismatic newcomers from Japan, Keiko Nishimura and the fabulous Kawakaze..."  
  
Keiko and her friends stir excitedly. Me, I just snort and grab another mouthful from my hay net.   
  
"...What can you tell us about this pair, Ian?'  
  
"Well, Miss Nishimura has shown incredible grit and determination, literally bootstrapping herself into international competition in a sport that's usually reserved for the very wealthy. But even she would be the first to admit that none of it would have been possible without that remarkable horse..."  
  
I snort again, loudly this time. Everybody laughs.  
  
"...not very big, no. But she makes up for it with quickness and agility. She also shows a rare combination of boldness and tractability."  
  
"A bit flighty though, wouldn't you say? Especially after what happened at Auckland."  
  
"Well, yes, but I think that was just their inexperience showing. The fact that they were contending for first place at all, in their very first international event, is far more telling to me. I expect big things from them in future..."  
  
I nod my head furiously. You just watch, buddy.  
  
"More than anything else, their chances depend upon the footing. Small, nippy horses like Kawakaze need good footing to do well. Slippery footing would negate her advantages."  
  
"So what is the background on this wonder-horse, Ian?"  
  
"Well Nigel, one of the things I love about horses is the great ones often come out of absolute nowhere. Kawakaze is just such a case. Nobody knows anything whatsoever about her origins. She was purchased as a four-year-old in some Chinese backwater, and shipped to Japan for a school horse. Miss Nishimura was a student at the stable. The rest, as they say, is history..."  
  
I rolled my eyes. Sportscasters hadn't lost their gift for cliché during the years I've been a horse.  
  
"...now, at ten, she's at the top of her form."   
  
"So what do you think it is that makes this horse so special, Ian?"  
  
"Well, she's best known for blazing speed and astounding agility, but I think the real secret to her success is her remarkable intelligence. This horse is so smart it's spooky. She always seems to find the shortest distance around any course, and she knows enough tricks for a circus horse. People are still talking about that remarkable scene last week, when Kawakaze literally knelt down on one knee to present her head to that little girl in the wheelchair..."  
  
I shook my head and took another mouthful of hay. Of course I knelt down for her. What did they expect me to do, stand there stupidly waiting for her to stand up?   
  
"...all of her handlers swear she wasn't cued to do that, either. If I didn't know better, I'd swear there was a human mind behind those eyes of hers..."  
  
I closed my eyes for a moment. Buddy, if only you knew the half of it.  
  
*****  
  
I'm tired, but I'm happy, as I close my eyes and relive the last moments of the jumpoff this afternoon...  
  
…I'm charging the final triple combination. Keiko wants me to slow, but I'm too excited. I over-jump the first fence, just manage to bounce the second, and suddenly I'M WAY TOO DEEP! Keiko pulls me up sharply and I just manage to hop over the third fence, twisting desperately to kick my hind feet up over the rail. I hear a loud knock as my back hooves clip it, but I can't worry about that, I've lost my forward momentum and I've got to run NOW!  
  
Time, time, time! I have to shorten the course! Keiko hangs on grimly as I kick it into overdrive for the final sprint to the finish. I snap a quick lead change and throw myself around an unused fence like an American barrel racing horse, sod flying as we race for the finish line. I stretch my nose forward, seeking the light beam...  
  
I shy violently as the crowd suddenly explodes into cheers even before I've finished bucking and sliding to a stop. The rail stayed up! We've won! Suddenly I'm surrounded by the jubilant members of our support team. Keiko throws my reins to her father and dives off my back into her boyfriend's arms.  
  
And for once the noise doesn't bother me as I stand there blowing, an island of equine stillness in a sea of ecstatic humanity. Papa-san has tears in his eyes as he gently strokes my nose, and I place my head on his chest so he can scratch under my bridle behind my ears just the way I like it. He smiles and shakes his head, but he doesn't hesitate to oblige me. I imagine he wants to celebrate too, but I insist on my prerogatives. Winning is nice, but horses have other priorities.  
  
So now it's all over, the awards ceremony, our victory gallop, and the seemingly endless round of interviews. I tried some of the victory bouquets, but they tasted terrible. Finally, I was led back to the stable, to a nice clean stall with fresh bedding and plenty of hay. I imagine my whole crew is off partying somewhere without me, but I don't mind. I've stamped my name on history. No one will be saying unkind things about my bloodlines now.  
  
*****  
  
Next up: Chapter 4: Homecoming 


	4. Homecoming

Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…  
  
  
River Wind  
  
By Dan Stickney  
  
  
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi   
  
*****  
  
Chapter 4 - Homecoming  
  
  
I would have never imagined the reception I got when I returned to Japan.  
  
I mean, who would have imagined that all of those people would have gotten up in the middle of the night (and why is always the middle of the night?) to greet a horse at the airport.  
  
Oh, all right, so it wasn't that many people. It was maybe twenty or thirty horse fanatics. Still, that's more people than I would have expected to come. I'm only an animal, after all.  
  
However, the really big thing happened the next day, back at the stable. Halfway through the morning, a group of unsmiling men in suits arrived and took up station all around the barn. They all had the same sort of "ready for the monster" body language that used to unnerve me as a school horse. Only Keiko's constant presence kept me from getting really agitated. I had no idea what was happening (all together now: why tell me? I'm just an animal) when a tall man with iron grey hair was escorted down the stable aisle, and everyone bowed. And suddenly, I knew who it was, and I realized with a start just how big we'd made it. He put Keiko at ease with a few quiet sentences, gave me a carrot, and stroked my nose gently. I couldn't help but warm up to him, because he was obviously a horseman from way back.   
  
They say a cat can look at a king. I guess a horse can look at an emperor, too.  
  
****  
  
Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit.  
  
I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead. And all I can do is stand here suffering until someone comes to euthanize me  
  
We were just coming up on the middle oxer when I felt a horrible stabbing pain in my right front hoof. I made the takeoff all right but the leg folded on landing and I went down, squealing in terror. Instinctively, I rolled with the fall and came back up my feet, ready to bolt, only to be brought up short when I couldn't put any weight on that leg. The best I could do was move in a hopping circle. I'd only completed one circuit around myself when an insanely brave course worker caught my bridle.  
  
Shit shit shit. I think my leg is broken. I shouldn't have to tell you what that means.  
  
Dimly, I wonder if it's going to be a bullet or a syringe, fast or slow, and how much it's going to hurt. I'd be screaming if I weren't in shock.  
  
Unfortunately, I'm not the only one hurt --the boyfriend hasn't gotten up. I think I might have rolled over him. God, I hope not. I must weigh more than half a ton.  
  
Suddenly, I catch a familiar scent. It's my lady. I scan the crowd, hoping to catch some glimpse of her. Oh why did she allow her boyfriend to enter me in this charity grand prix? I didn't trust him enough. It was a tragedy waiting to happen.  
  
Still, I'm glad my lady is here. At least she'll be able to hold my head until the end comes.   
  
There she is, rushing out of the crowd... rushing right past me, as if I wasn't there... rushing to him.  
  
And all I can do is stand there, waiting to be killed, while my lady Keiko rushes off with another, not sparing me so much as a backwards glance. And why should she? I'm only an animal, after all.  
  
****  
  
I'm home finally, back in my own familiar stall, though it doesn't comfort me. I feel worse than I did when they broke me back in China, so long ago.  
  
My injury, while painful, didn't turn out to be serious. A hoof puncture, from some stray bit of metal I suppose, and a sprained pastern. Still, those hours spent thinking I was about to die were the most frightening experience of my whole life, Jusenkyo included.  
  
From what I've overheard (as usual, no one ever tells me anything directly) Keiko's boyfriend wasn't badly hurt, and we're both expected to make a full recovery, though no one can say if I'll ever be fit enough to event again.  
  
My body is recovering, my soul is another matter.  
  
Do animals even have souls? Because that's all I am, an animal; I know that now  
  
I know I've had that thought many times before, but that was different. Before, I was always being ironic.   
  
I'm not being ironic any more. Irony is, after all, a human trait.   
  
I thought I was a human once, merely cursed to assume this shape.  
  
I was wrong.  
  
Oh, it was true once. When I first climbed out of that pool at Jusenkyo, I was a man in a horse's body. But over the years my humanity seems to have evaporated leaving... a mare with delusions of grandeur.  
  
My lady Keiko comes to soak my foot every night. Despite it all, I can't think of her any other way; she is still my lady. If she asked me to, I would run until I dropped dead from exhaustion. What horse wouldn't? But no animal has the right to expect such loyalty in return.  
  
I shouldn't have been surprised that she went to him instead of me. She's a woman now. Girls may love horses, but women love men. She does love me, I'm sure of it. But he's her mate. I'm just… a pet.  
  
The sound of my lady's voice disturbs my thoughts. She went to get more hot water for my foot. I look up, just in time to see her trip....  
  
And raise my hands to my face in shock, as I stand there with a halter draped stupidly around my neck.  
  
*****  
  
Keiko is crying, and why shouldn't she be? It's not every day that the horse of your dreams turns into a naked gaijin.  
  
It's funny, but up until now I never really knew what she looked like. Horses identify people by smell as much as anything else.  
  
And to think that a splash of hot water was all it took to reverse the curse, and make me a man again. It's too awful to be funny. If only I'd stayed and listened to the guide, I'd have been cured years ago.  
  
But horses run. It's our only defense. Maybe I was already more horse than I thought.  
  
Quickly I dash into the tack room, and grab the first grooming smock I can get my hands on. Then I'm out the door, and gone.  
  
****  
  
Man, it's cold out here.  
  
I've decided that I'm going to go directly to the nearest police station, and tell them exactly what happened to me. They're bound to think I'm crazy, and commit me somewhere, but I don't care. In fact, I'm sure that's exactly what I need right now.  
  
Of course, that assumes that I can even get to the end of this street. I'm too scared to move at the moment.  
  
I'm scared to move because I can't make much sense of what's going on around me. Try as I might I can't smell hardly anything, and I'm practically deaf to boot. It feels like my head's been wrapped in something I can't take off. And the eyes...  
  
The eyes are horrible, with permanent tunnel vision, little ability to discriminate motion, no night vision to speak of, and these awful, garish colors that obscure as much as they reveal.  
  
Worst of all, I can only see in one direction. What if something were to sneak up on me from the other side?  
  
It doesn't help that I feel like I'm constantly on the verge of toppling over. What a horrible body this is, all awful angles and dangling things. Nothing like the sleek beauty I used to have.  
  
How do humans stand living this way?  
  
Suddenly, I hear a noise behind me, and I bolt. I don't know why I'm running, or where, and I can't look back without losing track of where I'm going...  
  
*****  
  
Thank God the nightmare is over, and I'm finally home.  
  
Thank god I fell in the puddle before I got too far. The cold water restored me to normal, and here I am, back in my old familiar stall. I can't help but sigh contentedly as my lady brushes my flanks.   
  
I guess I caused quite a stir there for a while. It's not every day that you find a world-class event horse quietly grazing in a city park.  
  
Amazingly, no one even questioned how I got there. With my reputation as a scamp, I guess everyone just assumed that I'd once again let myself out of my stall. It's just as well. Keiko sure as heck wasn't going to tell them the truth. Who'd believe her?  
  
Keiko and I have experimented with hot and cold water. I've found that I can stand being human for a little while, as long as I have my back to something, but I don't like it much. Thankfully, we can do most of our communicating without it, as long as she sticks to yes-no questions, and remembers not to cue my answers.   
  
Between my pidgin Japanese and her schoolgirl English, we've come to an understanding. She's promised me I'll never be sold. In exchange, I've agreed to be bred when my eventing career is over. I never realized just how expensive horses are in Japan. Her family has sacrificed a lot to support me, and a few foals would go a long way towards paying that back. Of course, I did insist on getting final approval on any stud. After all, I do have a better eye (and nose) for horseflesh than she does.   
  
Besides, I have my own reasons to want babies. Aren't we all programmed to reproduce ourselves? If I'm lucky, some of the finest horses of the next century will carry my name in their pedigree. It's the closest thing to immortality I'll ever get.  
  
I even managed to get her to promise me one of those misting fans.  
  
Keiko's been in contact with the Jusenkyo guide. She says he told her about someone here in Japan who may be able to help me fix this curse, so I don't have to be afraid someone will accidentally change me into a human anymore. She giggled when she told me about this guy; apparently, his name means "wild horse."  
  
I never told her what my human name was, and I never will. I earned my name. I am the river wind. Nothing outruns the river wind.  
  
Why would I wish to remain a horse? Simple, it's what I am. It's what I've been for years now; I just didn't want to admit it.  
  
Besides, as a man, I was nobody's prize. Overfed, undertall, and ugly to boot. As a horse, I'm exceptional; an international champion.  
  
I imagine you think I'm an idiot, but I'm not. In fact, for a horse, I'm a genius.   
  
  
*****  
  
The short-haired girl sighed, and dropped the dipper back into the ornate pail at her feet. Moving carefully, she carefully emptied the larger vessel onto the ground; taking such care that one would think she was disarming a bomb instead of merely emptying a bucket. Only when the odd bucket was safely emptied and sealed inside a larger container did she dare return to where the pigtailed boy waited, sitting on a hay bail and hugging himself as if he were cold. "Are you going to be OK?" She asked him quietly.  
  
"Yeah, I guess." He muttered, sounding unconvinced. "It's just that…" he trailed off, gesturing to where a young woman was leading a horse back to its stall.  
  
"Yeah, I know." The girl sat down next to him and patted his knee gently. He was taking this rather harder than she'd expected, but then she wasn't the one who was being forced to confront her worst nightmare. "Ranma… I really think it's better this way. At least she's happy now."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," the boy repeated. He looked up at the retreating pair one last time, and shuddered.  
  
  
***** 


	5. Epilogue

Imagine falling into a Jusenkyo spring, and never finding out how to release the curse…  
  
  
River Wind  
  
By Dan Stickney  
  
  
Based on concepts and characters created by Rumiko Takahashi   
  
********  
  
Epilogue: California  
  
Miss Johnson was making her way through the paddock area, smiling and exchanging greetings with the pony club members who'd come to the chapter meeting, when she spotted a girl she didn't recognize leading a gray mare towards the grooming stalls. Always happy to welcome a new member, she changed course and drifted after them, somewhat delayed by her need to pause frequently to chat with passersby. By the time she'd caught up with the pair the new girl, who appeared to be about 12 or 13, had cross-tied her horse and was grooming it quickly and efficiently.   
  
"...well, I really live in Japan" she was saying as Miss Johnson took up an unobtrusive position within earshot. Her English was accented, but fluent.  
  
"So why are you here?" Brandy Neidermeir was asking. Trust her to be the first to check out any potential competition.  
  
"My Mom moved her breeding operation here two years ago. We always come over to see Kawa-chan during school holidays." The new girl answered. "Isn't that right, Kawa-chan." The gray mare nodded vigorously, drawing giggles from the assembled children.  
  
Miss Johnson looked the mare over carefully and mentally revised her estimated age upwards by at least ten years. She wasn't particularly big, but she was put together nicely, and her color was very striking, a dark fleabitten gray. She was a bit sway-backed with age and swag-bellied from breeding, but underneath it all was obviously a quality animal, albeit one that was past her prime.   
  
"Kawa-chan? Is that her name?" One of the other kids was asking.  
  
"Oh no, that is just a...How do you say it? ...a nickname." The new girl responded, putting down her brush. "Her real name is Kawakaze." She spoke a soft phrase in Japanese, and lightly touched the mare's hip with a fingertip. The horse took two precise steps sideways, pivoting around her front feet, then went back to her drowsing  
  
Miss Johnson nodded approvingly. Obviously, this girl's parents knew enough to get a well trained, well broke, experienced horse for her to start with. "Young rider, old horse" was still the best rule of thumb to follow as far as Miss Johnson was concerned.  
  
Brandy giggled. "Kamikaze? Does that mean riding her is like a suicide mission?" The other kids laughed.  
  
The Japanese girl looked puzzled. "Not KaMIkaze," she replied, pronouncing it carefully. "KaWAkaze".  
  
"What's the difference?" Dr. Martin's son Peter (one of the few boys present) asked, honestly curious.  
  
"KaMIkaze means 'Holy Wind'." The Japanese girl explained earnestly, crossing back in front to get to her grooming tote. "KaWAkaze means 'River Wind'. Kawa is River. Kaze is Wind." She looked back at the horse. "Isn't that right, Kawa-chan?" The mare nodded again. Miss Johnson looked on curiously. Why did that remind her of something?  
  
Brandy looked superior. "That's not exactly original. I bet half the horses in Japan are named Kawakaze." Miss Johnson had to agree. It had become a popular name even here in the States. Back ten, fifteen years ago when she was a pony clubber herself every chapter seemed to have at least one horse named after the famous Kawakaze. Even today they still cropped up occasionally.  
  
The new girl was applying liniment to the gray mare's legs, working as quickly and thoroughly as an experienced race track groom. "You're right. However, I know for a fact that this horse wasn't named after that Kawakaze." She looked up at the mare, which shook her head vigorously. "See? Kawa-chan herself says so."  
  
"Are you cueing her to do that?" Peter asked.  
  
The new girl grinned. "Of course I am." Above her, the horse shook its head in contradiction, causing another round of laughter. "After all, Kawa-chan's a Japanese horse. She doesn't speak much English." Above her, the horse snorted derisively.  
  
"So how do you know for sure your horse wasn't named after the great Kawakaze?" Brandy pressed her.  
  
The Japanese girl rolled her eyes. "Because my mom got her years before anyone had ever heard of 'the great Kawakaze'." The horse lowered her head and snorted at her in seeming response to her sarcasm. The girl smiled and gently pushed the gray nose away. "Oh, don't sulk, Kawa-chan." She finished with the right front and switched over to the left.  
  
One of the other kids looked down, puzzled. "Why are you doing that?"  
  
"I have to be very careful with Kawa-chan," came the response. "She is 27 years old." Miss Johnson gave a silent whistle. The horse was much older than she had guessed, and must be extremely well cared for. "Anyway, Mom showed her a lot when she was younger."  
  
Brandy was looking at the mare dubiously. "Did she win anything?"  
  
The Japanese girl smiled an enigmatic smile. "Actually, my Mom's best showing was a third place. But that was against really tough competition."  
  
Brandy saw her opening and pounced. "Couldn't your mom afford a better horse for you?"  
  
The new girl stopped working and looked up at her briefly before her smile twisted. "Actually, no, she couldn't." Above her, the horse nodded again, as if in agreement.  
  
Miss Johnson shook her head at that, puzzled. That couldn't be true, could it? Given how much it cost to ship a horse across the Pacific? Her odd sense of deja-vu seemed to be returning, too.   
  
Brandy nodded smugly, and Miss Johnson could see that she'd decided that this new kid wouldn't be much of a threat. "Well, I've got to take care of my thoroughbred. See you around." The other kids trooped after her.  
  
After the kids had gone, Miss Johnson walked up to the new girl and held out her hand. "Welcome to the Sonoma Chapter of the U.S Pony Club. I'm Miss Johnson, the District Commissioner. I see we won't have to teach you much about grooming, will we?"  
  
The girl took her hand, but bowed over it Japanese style. "Kimiko Sakai." Then the girl gestured to someone standing across the aisle. "My Mom taught me everything I know."   
  
Miss Johnson turned to see who the young girl was pointing at, and her breath caught. The woman standing there was tiny, no taller than her daughter, but she still looked much the same as she had thirteen years ago on the Olympic medal stand. Miss Johnson turned back slowly, then reached out and gently caressed the horse's nose, seeing her own reflection in the mare's kind brown eyes. It wasn't every day that you were privileged to see a legend literally spring from the grass. She looked distant for a moment, remembering the poster that had hung on her bedroom wall throughout much of her childhood before she smiled down at the girl. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Kimiko. When you get the chance, I'd very much like to meet your mother."  
  
The two exchanged a few more pleasantries, before Miss Johnson tore herself away to tend to her other duties. After she'd left, the girl turned to her horse, and squealed in Japanese. "Oh, this is going to be so much fun, Kawa-chan!" The horse nodded in seeming agreement.  
  
  
*****  
  
Sonoma, California: Noted Japanese equestrian Keiko Sakai (nee Nishimura) announced the passing of her famed event horse Kawakaze at the venerable age of 36. Dubbed the "horse of the century" by many experts, the 15 hand Chinese bred was as famous for her off-course antics as she was for her on-course heroics, and the two had a very eventful career culminating in Japan's first ever Olympic medal (a bronze) in equestrian competition. Reportedly Ms. Sakai once turned down more than a million dollars for the horse her father got in trade for a used Toyota, explaining that "you don't sell the horse of a lifetime." After a very brief career in film and television (playing herself in two movies and a documentary) Kawakaze spend the last twenty years of her life as a successful broodmare, much of it at Ms. Sakai's California breeding operation. As a broodmare, Kawakaze achieved a final unique distinction as the only Olympic medal winning horse to ever bear another: Samidare, who won stadium jumping gold last year. In announcing Kawakaze's passing, Ms. Sakai stated: "I've lost more than a horse; I've lost a friend."  
  
*******  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Uh, this started out as a Ranma Fic, really, really. The original goal was to create a character who exemplifies Ranma's worst nightmare and then confront him with it. However, my muse sorta ran off in her own direction, leaving me little choice but to follow. (Hopefully she wasn't carrying scissors.) 


End file.
